Heart of the Kingdom
by Espiritu Invictus
Summary: Darkness encroaches upon the earth again, and the Sailor Scouts are called to action. The Moon Crystal that once powered the Kingdom is in danger of falling into the wrong hands. A mysterious figure from the sands of Mars appears to aid them.RayexOC R/R!
1. The Queen and the Sword

**I do not own Sailor Moon. The main character's appearance, name, and abilities are based on Assassin's Creed; however, the essence of the character of Desmond Miles/Altair are not. I do not own Assassin's Creed either. **

* * *

**The Flying One, a Sailor Moon Story**

**The Queen and the Sword**

The sand shifted like a snake across the desert. The dunes rose and fell like ocean waves in a pristine and perfect form. The desert was serene and still in that moment as the wind blew carrying the sand. High atop one of the dunes, a man stood holding his arm over his eyes. He was difficult to see as the sand blanketed his presence, but he stood looking off into the distance. The man was draped in a white robe while the hood of the robe covered his head. The man, also carrying heavy equipment, surveyed the area for a moment then began to travel down the dune. The sand blew thick and hard into his face. He shut his eyes to keep from being blinded. Stepping on a soft patch of sand, his foot sank downward, and he fell down the dune. He landed at the trough of the dunes headfirst. He regained his strength and looked up. Within the haze of the sand, a light appeared before him. He stared forward, looking intently at the beautiful bright light. A form began to appear for a moment, but soon, the sand engulfed him.

Gasping for air, the young man flew up out of bed. He glanced around for a moment, seeing his bedroom instead of the desert sand around him. He put his face in his hands and took a deep breath. What were these things he saw in his mind's eye? Almost every night the images and the experience of something metaphysical came to his dreams. It was almost like another world—another life—but every morning he woke back up to the reality he lived. He always carried these visions, even as a child, but as he grew older, they became frequent occurrences, and now they happened nightly.

The young man tossed the covers aside and got out of bed. He flinched as his feet hit the cold floor of the small apartment, but he quickly moved on towards the bathroom. He turned the faucet, and the handle came off. He sighed while looking at the hot water knob in his hand. He put it back on, holding it in place, and he turned the knob. He waited a few seconds to feel the water, which was still cold, he sighed again waiting for the hot water to come through. It took almost a minute, but finally the water warmed up. He leaned over and splashed water over his face. After washing his face with soap and warm water, he grabbed a towel and dried off his face. He stood straight up and padded the towel down his face. In the mirror above the sink, his reflection appeared.

His viridian eyes were tired from a restless night's sleep. They were set in a serious and firm face under blonde locks of wild hair. He stared at himself in the mirror, noticing his tired eyes, for a moment then hung up the towel on the rack nearby. He turned away from the mirror and headed to the shower. He turned the water on and backed away, waiting for the warm water. He leaned on the sink again, holding himself up with his arms. His bare chest rose and fell with his heavy breath.

He had dreams about the desert often, but within the last few months, they were becoming nightly. He started at himself again; his face was solemn as he looked upon himself. He was a strong young man with toned muscle and broad shoulders. Often as he started at that face in the mirror, he did not know who it was—he did not know who he was. The dreams and visions showed him things that he did not know, and yet, it felt as if it were something that seemed familiar. He never spoke of these visions to anyone, not knowing how they would be received by the others around him; however, he was now alone, and nobody knew of his secret visions. As he stared at his image in the mirror, he did not know who he was or what his place was in this world, but the visions he had called to his heart. He knew so little from these visions, but he felt so much concerning them. The desert world of his vision felt more real to him than the world he stood in at the moment. The young man sighed and looked away from his reflection.

* * *

A noisy haze of conversation filled the halls of Fujiwara High School. Before the bell rang for the first class, the students congregated in the hallways talking about their summer vacations and the latest gossip. On this particular day at Fujiwara High, five friends circled around the locker of their Princess as she fixed her hair. Their Princess, late to school, tried to put herself together before class started.

It was the first day of high school of their last year. Mina sighed deeply, a large smile creeping upon her face, as she fell against the lockers with her books pressed against her chest. "This year is going to be wonderful!" She sighed.

"Why?" Lita asked.

"We're preparing for the college exams this year," Ami said, not looking up from her book.

The other girls rolled their eyes.

"No," Mina said. "This is the year I'm going to find true love."

"That's what you said last year," Raye said.

"Well, this year, I mean it."

"Wouldn't we all like that?" Lita said. She glanced up for a moment, following the path of Serena's eyes. The Princess stared at a picture of her Prince tapped to the mirror of her locker. "Well, Serena's already found her love."

Serena smiled after putting her lipstick away. "Darien and I have a date tonight."

"Where's he taking you?" Mina asked.  
"La Boheme," She said.

"That fancy Italian place?" Lita asked. "That's so romantic!"

Serena nodded. "That's the one." She turned to her friends. "My hair doesn't look that bad, does it?"

"If you trying to look like a plate of spaghetti," Raye snickered.

"Raye!" Serena hissed.

"Don't worry!" She giggled. "You're going to an Italian restaurant."

"You're so mean!" Serena tried to slap Raye, but Raye blocked the attack with her school books. The two of them broke out into a fight, but the bell rang for class. The students began to move through the hallway to their respective classrooms.

Lita and Ami grabbed onto Serena, pulling her away from her verbal spat with Raye. Serena stuck her tongue while being pulled away, but Raye only flashed an evil grin.

"When are you two going to grow up?" Lita asked.

"Yes, it _is _our last year of high school," Ami added. "We should act our age."

"Never!" Serena exclaimed.

Raye shook her head with a small smile. "I better head off to class." Raye started to walk away. She waved goodbye to her friends, and made sure to flash another wicked smile in Serena's direction. She then looked forward and headed to her class. The female students of Fujiwara High wore blue plaid skirts, white short sleeved button down shirts, blue sweater vests, and navy blazers, and Raye sported the uniform required of her school that day. To add her own flare, she wore a pair of high heels that she felt powerful and confident in. She glanced down at her feet for a moment while reaching back to tuck her long silky black hair behind her ear, but as she looked up, amidst the crowd, her eyes locked with his.

Only for a moment their eyes locked—his viridian eyes were captured within the gaze of her violet eyes, and in that moment, it seemed as if the whole world stopped for her. They had locked eyes for just a moment, but he then looked towards the ground and continued to walk. Seconds after, the world went black for her.

She stood high amongst the dunes of the desert. The wind blew violently causing her long hair to dance across her face. The sand blew at her from the east; she raised her left arm as a shield to her eyes. Looking across the desert, she saw a formation in the distance. For a brief moment the wind slowed, causing the sand carried in the wind to fall. Off in the distance, a city with high walls appeared nestled against the mountains in the distance. She squinted her eyes, peering deeply, but the wind picked up speed again, and started to blow into her face. The wind became so strong that she had to turn her back to the wind. On another dune, she saw a figure standing before her. She only saw the robes of white before the disappeared into the swirling sands.

The world of the hallway came back to her. Her heart was pounding. She was leaning against the wall with one arm and covering her beating heart with the other. Small beads of sweat and formed upon her forehead. Her world was shaken, but everything around her appeared untouched. She turned around, but there was nothing except the students trying to get to class.

Down the hallway, as students passed him, the young man leaned against the wall panting heavily. He remained there for a moment, catching his breath, before he stood up straight. He reached up, brushing his blonde locks out of the way of his eyes. He looked around the hallway, but everyone else was unaffected.

* * *

She was flustered the entire day, her mind constantly replaying the vision that appeared before her earlier that day. After school, she immediately headed home to the Hikawa Shrine without explaining herself to her friends. The first thing she did was change out of her school uniform into her priestess clothing. Luckily, her grandfather was busy with patrons outside which allowed her to slip into the fire room in privacy.

It was the fire room that she often found herself. When the world around her was unclear and hazy, it was through the flames that everything fell into place. The fire was her source of passion, strength, life, and sight. She was Sailor Mars, and this was her element. It had been many months, in fact, two years since she donned the uniform of a Sailor, but still in her heart, she was connected to the fire. Even in peaceful times, she meditated in front of the flames to find peace, but today, she needed answers.

She closed her eyes, kneeling before the sacred flames, and began to concentrate on her breathing. She slowly breathed in, holding it for a moment, then exhaled, releasing the tension inside. Inhale…exhale…inhale…exhale…inhale…exhale…her breath soon became even, calm, and regulated—automatic without thought. She was pulled into the fire. Even though she did not physically open her eyes, she began to see beyond the realm and current moment. The burning wood filled her nostrils, the orange and yellow flamed danced before her eyes, the cackle tickled her ears, and the heat warmed her skin. All of her senses were one with the fire. She pushed, searching for answers, but nothing could be seen deep within the flames. Only feelings—impressions really—came to her. Something burning deep down inside started to ache. Some of it was frightening, disturbing even, but some of it felt familiar and right. But it was the frightening and disturbing that began to take over. It engulfed her quickly, just as quickly as the feeling came to her. She was surrounded in darkness, a darkness that was heavy and draining of her life and soul. Darkness encroached upon her from all sides coming from the four corners of the universe. Frightened, she jerked herself out of the vision, like opening one's eyes amidst a bad dream, and pulled herself back into reality. She gasped, collapsing on her hands. Her long hair draped over her face, hiding her from the world around her. She continued to gasp, trying to calm herself, as her heart pounded wildly in her chest. She became aware of her surroundings once again—the slick polished wood of the floor, the heat and cackle of the fire, the dimensions of the fire room. She looked up, glancing around the room for just a moment, but then she took off in a sprint. She bolted out of the fire room and down the hallway.

An old short man stepped into the hallway from an outside doorway. Just as he slid the door shut, he looked up at his granddaughter. "Raye, there's a bunch of giggling school girls outside at the gift shop…I tried to offer them jobs, but no!"

"Can't talk now!" Raye exclaimed. She darted past her grandfather, almost plowing him over, but she did not stop for him. She continued on down the hallway, turned around the corner. She transition from the Shrine portions of the building to the housing portions. Soon, she was running through her house towards the bedroom. She quickly pulled back the sliding door, almost slamming it off its tract, and she dashed into her room. She practically dove towards her bed, scrambling underneath. She pulled out a small wooden box. Opening it, a bright red light glowed from inside. She looked down into the box, gingerly picking up the object inside. She lifted her Sailor pen out of the box. It was glowing brightly. She clenched the pen tightly and closed her eyes—the darkness was approaching.

* * *

Early that evening, it began to rain. Standing near the window, he watched with his arms folded over his chest the raindrops roll down the glass. The gentle hum of the rain beating against the roof filled the room with a soothing sound. It became a peaceful and serene afternoon, and as night approached, the skies grew dark, but it continued to rain.

The young man wandered around his apartment aimlessly. He remained in his school uniform, a pair of black slacks and a white short sleeved button down shirt, for a couple of hours, but before he started making his dinner, he changed into a tee-shirt and pair of pajama pants. Looking through his empty cupboards, he finally managed to find where he put the bag of rice. He turned on the stove top and began to cook. He glanced over at his almost empty bag of rice and sighed. School fees for this year were more expensive that he anticipated. In about twenty minutes, his dinner was finished. He put the rice into a bowl and sat down a wooden chair. He ate slowly, listening to the rain. The apartment was bare, only having the essentials. There wasn't much to look at, but he managed to survive. He usually spent his nights reading books or doing homework, but tonight after dinner, his eyelids were heavy. He flopped down on his bed and closed his eyes, telling himself that he'd only rest for a moment, but it wasn't long before he fell to sleep.

Most of his sleep was deep and peaceful, but as the hours passed, within the darkness of his dreams, he began to feel a cool wind against his skin. Upon the wind and in the darkness, he heard the faint whisper of his name.

"Altair…"

He opened his eyes to the desert. Knelt atop of a high dune, he overlooked the empty and serene desert. The sky was full of stars and the Milky Way galaxy stretched across the vertical horizon. But immediately, he noticed that there were two small moons in the sky. He stood up straight, feeling himself weighted down. He glanced down at himself for a moment. He was covered in white robes with equipment strapped around his waist. He turned slowly to survey the landscape. There was nothing for miles around—only desert, sky, and mountains in the distance.

It flashed in the corner of his eye—a bright light—bright and pure as the whitest of light. He turned his head, but quickly shielded his eyes from the brightness. He dropped to one knee. The brightness of the light toned down, and after his eyes adjusted, he was able to look up.

Standing before him, a woman in the appearance of an angel looked down upon him. Her hair was silver, almost white, and it was wrapped into odango on each side. The remaining hair flowed down her back in pigtails. And upon this angel's head was a crescent moon. Her lips formed a small smile as she looked down upon him. "Altair."

He could hardly speak. It took him many moments to find his voice, but when he did, he could barely utter a sound. "…h…how…how do you know my name?"

Her faint smile grew a little larger. "I've known your name before you were even born, Altair."

He stared at her for a moment. "Who are you?"

"I think what you really wish to know is _who you are_, Altair."

That was a question that pricked his heart, and yet, he started to grow frustrated with the circular conversation. He looked around at his surroundings again. "Where are we? What is this place? What am I doing here?"

The woman looked off into the horizon. Her arm gently lifted, motioning the young man to look out over the desert. "This was once your home. This is where your life began." She looked back to him. "And I am Queen Serenity."

"Where?" He asked, seeing nothing. "Queen Serenity," he said, addressing her for the first time.

"Arise and come with me."

He stood up, and once he did, she put her hand on his shoulder. They slowly lifted off the ground, and they started to fly across the desert. He jerked back at first, frightened, but they quickly stabilized. Soon, they both were flying head first across the desert. It did not take long before the Queen stopped them atop a high dune. This time as the young man looked down from his position, he saw a gathering of square tents. There was the faint light of dying campfires and the smoldering of smoke. It was quiet.

He young man looked to the Queen. "What is this place?"

"Your home."

"But I've never seen this place before." He turned back towards the tents. "And yet, it seems so familiar."

"That is because it was a lifetime ago."

"What do you mean?" He jerked his head back towards her.

She locked eyes with him. "Altair, you were once a nomad who arose from the desert to become a great warrior." Her eyes tore away from his, and she gaze turned towards the settlement below. "This is where you were born—into a tribe of nomadic warriors. Your strength and valor grew, carrying you farther and farther, until you reached me, young one."

She put her hand on him for comfort as he looked distressed. As she did, they shot straight up into the air, but they continued to converse as if nothing happened. "This is the planet Mars. This was once your home." As they went higher in the air, a city appeared to them in the distance. It was a white city, large and beautiful. High domes, cupolas, and pillars arose from behind the high walls. "This is Bella, the capital city."

They looked at the city for a moment as they hovered high in the sky.

"The Martians value courage and strength, and you, Altair possessed a great deal of both. And from your tribe and humble beginnings, you arose to become a great warrior upon this planet. You then came to my attention, and I called upon you for my Kingdom."

"And where is your Kingdom?" He asked.

"The Moon."

After the words rolled off her lips, the desert disappeared from them. Soon they stood before the ruins of an illustrious and beautiful silver palace. The sky was also filled with stars, but in the sky was the image of the earth. The young man looked at her in surprise. "This is your Kingdom?"

The Queen slightly nodded.

"But what happened?"

The Queen smiled, gracefully but clearly filled with the pain of a thousand memories. "Many years ago, our beloved home was ravaged by darkness. Everything that was worked for and achieved through peace and cooperation was destroyed in moments by forces of rage and jealously." She turned to him, tears forming in her eyes. "But it was not these buildings that I care for, but my people. They were all gone. My people were my Kingdom, and they were gone."

"I am sorry," he said, solemnly.

"You gave your life to protect my people, as did many others, but their efforts were not enough." She sighed. "In the end, only I survived."

"What did you do?"

The tears rolled down her cheeks. "I gave my live, just as those I loved gave theirs for this Kingdom. I gave my life to create a new future for everyone." She looked him in the eye. "This is the future you live in now. This is who you are, Altair."

The young man known as Altair stood pondering the weight of these things for a moment, but he looked over at the Queen in curiosity. "Why…" He stopped, trying to find the words. "Why now? Why ever?" He sighed. "Why have I had these dreams? Why now have you come to me?"

"Altair, your whole life you've never felt a connection to the future in which you now live. You've always been alone."

He looked away.

She reached over, putting her hand under his chin. She gently tilted his head towards her as a mother would comfort her child. "Your heart yearns for truth. Your memories could not be suppressed. This is who you really are."

"Why have you come to me now after all these years?"

"Because the world is not safe, Altair." She said, withdrawing her hand. "Your strength is needed once again."

"But what can I do?" He asked. "I may have been a warrior a long time ago, but I am no warrior now. I am…" He glanced away. "…just an orphan."

"Altair, you _are_ a warrior," She said firmly. She held out both of her hands, and suddenly a sword appeared into her hands. "Look at yourself. You were once the General of the Moon Kingdom, and that man is still inside of you."

Altair glanced down at his clothing. In these dreams, he was always covered in a white robe. The robe was hooded, and the hood had a small tip at the end, as in the appearance of a bird beak. He had long white sleeves and thick gauntlets over his arms. Over his waist was a thick leather belt holding many small knives. His brown boots were light and nimble for excellent footing and balance. He glanced to his left side—there was a sheath but no sword.

The Queen held out the sword. Gingerly, Altair reached out and grasped the handle of the sword. He slowly lifted it from her hands and raised it high in the air. The sword was straight, light, and strong—made from the finest materials on Mars. It was a sword for one hand, but could incorporate the second hand. He put his arm down after his finished his examination and looked to the Queen.

"Altair, you must rise up again and protect those who would need you."

The young man nodded.

She reached out and touched him on the arm, and as she did. Everything went black. It seemed as if the darkness lasted for hours. It was peaceful and serene. Regaining his consciousness, he began to flutter his eyes open, but as he became aware of his surroundings, he gasped, backing quickly away from the edge. It was cold, windy, and rainy, and he was atop of a skyscraper. His back pressed against the building while he scrambled on the small ledge. He looked over the landscape, seeing the entire city of Tokyo. He was atop Midtown Tower, one of the highest structures in Tokyo. Frightened and shaking, he managed to stand up on the small ledge. He glanced left. He glanced right. He saw no escape from the high ledge. He glanced down—it was a long 814 feet to the bottom.

"Fly, Altair." He heard whispered upon the wind.

Altair stepped closer to the edge, feeling terror well up within his body, but he looked down to the ground then closed his eyes. Gently, he leaned forward, and he felt his feet leave the edge. With his eyes closed, he felt the cold wind rushing against his face for what seemed like forever. He fell head first—his arms gently extending out like wings. He opened his eyes. Watching himself descend, drawing closer to the ground, he turned his body, without even thinking, and landed on his feet. He stood frozen for a moment, expecting to be hurt or dead, but he was fine. He put his hand over his heart, feeling it beat wildly within his chest, he was alive. He laughed aloud as he looked up into the sky at the top of the tower where he was moments ago.

In the morning, Altair awoke to find himself in his apartment exactly where he fell asleep. He glanced around for a moment at the familiar surroundings of his home. He put his hand over his forehead. "What a dream," he said aloud, almost laughing. What seemed so real was nothing but a dream. He continued to lie in bed, not wanting to get up. After a moment, he shifted his leg, and as he felt something hard against his leg, his eyes bulged. He sat up and tossed the covers aside. At his side was a sword encased in its sheath. He grabbed the sword and pulled it out of the sheath. It was the same sword Queen Serenity gave him. It was not just a dream.


	2. The Heart of the Kingdom

**Episode Two**

**Heart of the Kingdom**

She tried to cram in her math homework during lunch, but was not managing well. In some ways, concerning all that she had on her mind, she did not care at the moment about the fundamental theorem of calculus. She quickly finished her homework and tossed down her pencil with a sigh. Her friends knew that she seemed distracted for the last couple of days, but she did not divulge her thoughts to them. Her fist came up under her chin as she pondered. Were the things she saw in the fire just fears and not reality? Even though she asked herself that question, she truly knew the answer. It would be difficult to break the news to her friends. She watched them as they were all coming over with their lunches. They had found peace and happiness during their inactive duty, but now, that happiness would be broken. The stresses of being heroes and warriors once again would be placed upon their shoulders. Raye looked up and forced a smile as all of her friends gathered around.

Immediately after sitting down, Serena started to inhale her food. "Does anyone want to get ice cream after school?"

"Actually," Raye spoke up. "I think we should have a meeting at the Shrine."

"A meeting?" A serious look washed over Lita's face.

Raye nodded. "Yes, a meeting."

"About what?" Mina asked.

Raye sat silent for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "I felt something during a fire reading."

"What?" Serena asked, sushi roll stuffed in her mouth.

Raye shook her head. "I don't know. It felt dark…evil…"

Ami put her hand over cheek. "Are you saying that another enemy is about to confront us?"

"I don't know what it means," Raye said. "…but I don't want to be unprepared either."

Mina shook her head in disbelief. "I haven't even carried my sailor pen in…I don't even know how long."

"Two years," Ami said.

"Yes, we should meet about this," Lita said. "Perhaps we can call Luna and Artemis and ask for their help."

"Yes, and perhaps you could do another fire reading?" Mina looked to Raye.

Raye nodded. "Yes, of course. We need to get to the bottom of this."

"I suppose I better give Darien a call too," Serena said.

Mina glanced around at her friends. "Well, this is bummer."

Lita sighed in agreement.

"Well, we don't even know what is going on yet." Serena shrugged. "Perhaps it is nothing at all." Her friends were not encouraged. "Come now! Let's not get all sad until we know for sure."

"Yes, I suppose you're right, Serena," Ami said.

"Wow!" Serena said. "I think that's the first time Ami said I'm right."

Ami rolled her eyes and gave Serena a little push on the arm.

"Well, there is truth in that," Lita said. "Let's not get ourselves upset until we know what is happening."

Mina nodded. "Yes, let's talk about more important things…like boys!" She giggled. "I must say that Ken Takimoto has been looking F-I-N-E this year!"

"Agreed!" Serena giggled.

While the other girls managed to console themselves, Raye sat silent still pondering the meaning of her visions and the impressions given to her through the fire. The others had comforted themselves in the possibility that her premonitions could be wrong, and she had even tried to comfort herself in that possibility, but deep down, she knew that it was not possible. Ignorance was bliss, but unfortunately, Raye was never one to be ignorant. At least, the meeting after school should provide more answers to the puzzle.

* * *

After school the girls all congregated around Mina's locker. The blonde dug through her messy locker looking for something way in the back.

"We've only been in school a couple of days and you're locker already looks like a trash hole," Lita said.

"These lockers don't fit all my stuff," Mina kept reaching into the back. "Ah! Got it!" She pulled out a pack of bubblegum and started chewing a piece.

"That's what you were looking for?" Raye asked, slightly annoyed.

Mina shrugged while chomping on the piece of gum. "I wanted a piece of gum all day long!"

"We should get going," Raye said. She turned towards the exit first while the other girls followed her lead.

"Wait!" A voice called out.

The five girls stopped and turned at the sound of the voice. Another student came running up to them.

"Is there something wrong?" Serena asked.

The student shook his head. He caught his breath for a moment. "Mizuno-san, I need to speak with you for a moment."

All the girls glanced over at Ami and stepped away, leaving the blue haired girl standing before the boy.

"Yes?" She asked.

"I'm Ishida Hiro." He bowed to her. "I've been meaning to get in contact with you." He was small in stature, only standing a few inches above Ami. His hair was black and cut short and neat. He wore black rimed glasses.

"Oh, well I'm in the learning center on Tuesday after school." She asked.

He looked to his feet with a small smile then glanced back up at her. "I don't need tutoring."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Usually when people speak to me, they desire tutoring."

"That's alright. I'm trying to start a science club on campus, and I was wondering if you would be interested in leading it with me. Professor Saito said that you'd be an excellent addition." He pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to Ami. "Here is my contact information."

Ami bowed while taking the piece of paper. "Thank you. I would be very interested."

Hiro bowed. "It was good to meet you, Mizuno-san. Have a good afternoon." He turned and walked away.

Ami glanced down at the information on the piece of paper and suddenly squealing erupted from the four girls behind her. She quickly clenched the paper in her hand and tucked it into her pocket.

"You got his phone number!" Mina said. "You should ask him out!"

A hot blush burned Ami's cheeks. "He's only interested in me for academic purposes, Mina. I'm sure nothing more."

"Chemistry isn't only a science, you know," Lita teased.

"I really think we should be going now." Ami tugged on the strap of her bookbag and continued forward.

* * *

The girls stepped off the bus at the Hikawa Shrine. The stone stairway appeared to ascend as sight as the heavens, but with a sigh from each of them, they began the journey upwards. Raye was accustomed to the task, having lived at the Shrine most of her life; however, the others still found the task a daunting one. Often, Serena paused to catch her breath, but as the others urged her on, she would continue, dragging her backpack behind her.

Finally they reached the top. The Shrine grounds were beautiful this time of year. From the abundance of summer rain, the trees were a lush green, and the grass was thick and strong. It was the tail end of summer just as everything was still healthy and green, but soon, the trees would turn into the palate of fall. There were many visitors today enjoying the beauty of this place. Young and old gathered at this religious site to pay respect to the traditions of the Japanese way. Many children dressed still in their school uniforms wandered the grounds while others full of years found quiet places to pray and show their devotion.

Raye led the way while the others followed behind her. Heading towards the house located on the property, she overheard a group of young girls talking.

"I don't know why the High Priest keeps bothering us," One of them said. "I told him that I don't want to work for him."

"I think he might be a pervert," Another one said.

Raye sighed angrily as she continued forward. Soon, she found a short old man trying to captivate the attention of a group of young school girls.

The short old man, dressed in the robes of a Shinto priest, spoke rapidly as he tried to convince the young girls that working at the Shrine was an excellent opportunity. "You all are very pretty, young ladies—just what I need to keep this Shrine running!"

"Grandpa!" Raye said sternly. "Leave them alone!"

The girls found their exit as Raye and her friends approached the old man. The old man crossed his arms over his chest as his granddaughter approached. "I can't run this Shrine by myself, you know. I'm in need of help, and I was generously offering the position to the most qualified…"

"Your only qualifications are female and pretty." Raye crossed her arms.

Grandpa shrugged. "Well, if they happen to be female and pretty, then what's the harm in that?"

"Grandpa, you're going to scare away patrons if you keep this up!"

"Why don't you hire someone else?" Serena suggested. "You could hire another boy, like Chad, or something."

"I could hire you," He said, looking straight at Serena.

Serena rolled her eyes playfully. "Sorry, Grandpa, but I'm not available."

Grandpa sighed. "Woe is me! How will I ever find anyone to help me keep the grounds? I'm an old man, and my back is hurting me…" Another group of girls walked by, and Grandpa's head shot up straight. "I got to go! See you later!" He chased down the passing girls. "Hey, wait a minute! Would you be interested…"

Raye sighed while shaking her head.

"Your grandpa really must be desperate this time," Lita said.

Raye nodded, continuing to keep an eye on her grandfather. "Yes, I must admit that we've needed extra help for a while now, but I'm afraid my grandfather's…uh…tactics…do more help than harm." Raye cringed as she saw one of the girls slap the old man across the face then stormed off with her friends.

The old man stood up and rubbed his face for a moment. He looked back over to Raye and her friends and waved. "I'm fine!"

Raye threw up her arm and waved. "Okay." She turned back to her friends. "We need to find someone fast."

The girls continued towards the house. It took a few minutes for Raye to change out of her school uniform into her priestess robes. She then headed to the fire room to prepare the sacred fire. She returned to her bedroom where her friends awaited when she was finished. They were talking happily amongst themselves, but as Raye entered fully dressed in Shinto uniform, a silence fell over them. They stood up from the floor and followed behind the Priestess as she led the way back to the fire room. Sometimes it seemed as though Raye took on a different persona when she was dressed in her robes. As a student in uniform, she seemed like any other girl with the same cares of this world, but as the priestess, she was dedicated, serious, and focused to the task at hand—even somewhat mysterious. It was when the priestess came into focus that her power aura started to shine through her otherwise normal appearance.

Raye was gifted. Her sight extended past the physical realm and her senses were keen to everything around her. To spare herself from distress, she often disconnected herself from these abilities, giving her the chance to lead a semi-normal life; however, still many sensed that this girl was far from ordinary. While she was ostracized from many during her lifetime, it was this gift that made her a valuable asset to the Sailor Scouts. The priestess, focusing to regain her abilities, led her friends into the fire room and motioned them to sit down. She then kneeled before the fire.

"I will need you all to focus with me," Raye said. "Your energy will help."

"Yes, of course." Lita nodded.

Raye took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She began to connect to the world beyond their present reality. With the focus and concentration of the other Sailors aiding her, Raye found it easier to pierce through the haze of the darkness and find her sight within the fire quickly. She passed through the flames, hot and bright, into another realm. The skies were dark and beautiful, filled with thousands of stars that night. It felt as if she was flying as she passed over ground rapidly, feeling the wind against her face. She floated over a calm and peaceful sea before reaching a beautiful palace in the distance. It was brightly lit, filling the night sky. As she approached the stone palace, the faint haze of conversation and music hummed in the distance.

She knew this place—it was the Moon Kingdom. This was once the home of Queen Serenity and her daughter, the monarchy she swore, along with the other Sailors, to protect. The Kingdom was a peaceful one, marked with the reign of a thousand years by the beautiful Queen Serenity. Through battle and war with the forces of darkness, Queen Serenity expelled all evil and suffering from the universe, creating the Silver Millennium. This place—serene, peaceful, and beautiful—was only destroyed by the releasing of the evil Queen Serenity fought ago—Chaos itself.

She continued towards the palace, and as she grew closed, she passed through the very stone walls of the palace. Suddenly, she looked down to see hundreds of beautifully dressed couples twirling on the dance floor. The musicians were perfect as they played the melodies that were so wonderful that anything she would hear again would only sound like the banging of a cymbal or the clanging of dropping something metal on the floor. The colors were rich and vibrant—more luscious than anything she would ever see again. She had once known this place with all its wonders and beauty, but she continued to pass on, leaving the room. She passed through many walls until she reached the heart of the palace. It was a large room full of complex and sleek machinery that looked completely foreign to her eye. As she hovered in the air, she studied the silver machinery for a moment. It was a highly sophisticated piece of technology, and yet, she sensed that it was powered by the most ancient of magic.

It took her a moment to realize where she was, but even in her past life, she had never been allowed to see this room. She was in the Heart of the Moon Kingdom. This is where it all began and was sustained. Only the Queen and her daughter were allowed in this place for it was here that the power that sustained and created the Moon Kingdom resided. The silver machine opened up, four panels folding down to reveal itself. Glowing with a bright blue light, the machine began to turn and spin. The light faded quickly, revealing a crystal inside the machine.

This was the Moon Crystal. The crystal that Queen Serenity carried was only a tiny fraction of this crystal. It was the main crystal that powered the Moon Kingdom, sustained its life, and protected it from the harsh elements of outer space. The smaller fragment that Queen Serenity carried was the piece she used to protect herself and her people against enemies. It was this smaller fragment that was split eventually into the seven rainbow crystals and found by the Sailor Scouts. But, Raye turned her attention to the larger crystal inside the machine. It started to glow, the same bluish haze as before, and then it split into five pieces shooting in each direction of a pointed star.

Shortly after the crystal left, the image of the palace transformed into its current state—destroyed and desolate. Slowly, Raye was lowered to the ground. Her feet touched down into the soft dust of the Moon. She looked around. The room once known as the Heart of the Kingdom was barren and lifeless. The wonderful machinery was now broken and covered in dust and cobwebs. A large hole in the ceiling created a skylight for the light of the earth. Raye continued to stare at the earth.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Raye spun around. She relaxed as the serene ghost floated up to her and looked up at the earth. "I watch the earth almost every night."

Raye looked over at Queen Serenity, but the Queen continued to stare at the earth. "You mean you've walked these ruins ever since…"

Serenity nodded. "I gave my life to save my people—the true essence of my Kingdom, but my spirit still lingers in this place." She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "My spirit is still attached to the machine you see behind you."

"I don't understand."

Serenity tore her eyes away from the earth and looked towards her former servant. "This machine once empowered the Moon Kingdom. It created it with the power of the Moon Crystal and sustained the atmosphere and life in this place. It was infused with my will and magic and the power of the crystal. That is how the Moon Kingdom came to being."

"Where did this machine come from?" Raye asked.

Serenity shook her head. "That is an event beyond my time or knowledge."

"I don't understand."

"Once, along time ago, there was a King. He was a powerful King, his hand stretching across the far reaches of the universe. His palace was far away, father than I could ever tell you or that you could comprehend. It was in the far reaches of this universe and will never be found again. The King had two daughters. The older was to inherit her father's throne, but the younger was dark and ambitious. The King was found dead one day, and the Kingdom erupted into civil war. The younger accused the older of treason and took the throne. The older daughter fled for her life. The universe was torn apart by the younger daughter's search for her sister. Their battle waged for many years and across many planets. As the older traveled the universe, she learned of many secrets. With them, she managed to defeat her younger sister. But, she was so far from home that she never managed to find her way back."

"Was this story about you, my Lady?"

The Queen faintly smiled. "You always were the intuitive one, Princess Mars." She nodded. "Yes, I was the older sister. My other sister jealously hunted me down to the far reaches of the universe, but I had found the Moon Crystal and this machine. I do not know where it came from or who created it, but I used its power to defeat my sister. I used the power of the crystal to create the Silver Millennium, only taking a small shard for myself."

"I don't understand."

"I did not deserve so much power for myself. I only took what I needed and gave the rest to create and bring life." She looked back to the earth. "This galaxy was full of pain and chaos, and I brought the Silver Millennium. I united the warring planets together and peace lasted for 1000 years. It was not until the darkness was released again that my people knew pain."

"Why do you show me these things?"

"The darkness approaches once again, gathering itself together from all the centuries of dormant sleep. It has grown strong from the cruelty and suffering of this age. It will soon awaken from its sleep."

"We have defeated every threat to peace that has come against us before. We shall do so again, my Lady."

"This threat is more powerful than you comprehend, Princess Mars, and if what you saw here today is found…"

"The Moon Crystal?"

Serenity nodded. "The Moon Crystal was split into five shards in order to keep Queen Beryl's hands off it when she attacked the Moon Kingdom. She was not aware of its existence specifically, but if she had found it—it would have been the end of the universe as we know it."

"Where are we to find these Moon Shards?"

Serenity shook her head. "That I do not know." She looked to the earth again. "They are somewhere upon your planet." She turned to Raye a moment later. "Those shards hold the power of life and death—existence and destruction—and the battle for them will not be easy."

Raye nodded.

Queen Serenity looked back to the Moon. "I have employed all the help of my former servants to this task. This is a critical moment. The warriors may no longer sleep. Their very existence is at stake."

"Yes, Queen Serenity." Raye bowed to her Queen.

* * *

He stood high above the city upon Tokyo Tower. He stood on the edge of a small edge looking down over the city. It was cold and windy at that height. His white robes fluttered and flapped in the wind as he stood there. Day by day he discovered the abilities that he once had. His hearing sharpened. His eyes focused. His reflexes were as lightening. As he stood over the city, conversations arose to his ears, filling his head with a noisy haze. Even though he was thousands of yards away, he could hear the clarity of each conversation and focus on multiple dialogues at a time. His eyes darted back and forth, zooming in at their sources.

"Help! Somebody help me!"

His eyes shifted to the left, and his sight zoomed in like the eyes of an eagle. In the darkness of an alley way, two men fought with a young woman over her purse. He leapt down from the tower, falling a few hundred feet before pushing off the tower at a lower level. He landed gracefully on the street and took off down the street. Instead of having the trouble of needing to go around buildings, he leapt, climbed, and sprang off of them, taking the most direct path. He found the alley and leapt into it by landing straight on top of the men. He bounced off his shoulders then leapt towards the other man to kick him. Soon the two men were beaten senseless and the purse was returned to the young woman.

"Thank you, sir!" She exclaimed, clenching her purse tightly. She started upon the warrior with a gleam in her eye. "Please tell me what my hero is called!" She sighed dreamily. "Perhaps I could reward my hero with a kiss?"

The warrior looked towards her, a serious look upon the revealed half of his face. "I…well…I don't know…" He said.

The woman frowned. "Um…okay…thanks…"

The warrior leapt up, jumping up to the roof of the building and ran off. "I've got to come up with a name," He said to himself.

The woman stood there, confused.

.


	3. BirdMan to the Rescue

**Episode Three**

**Bird-Man to the Rescue**

Needless to say, it was a rough night for Raye Hino. After seeing many secrets with the fire during meditation, she tried her best to relay all the information to her friends, but it was not possible to capture the essence of what she saw and felt with mere words. The Sailors discussed the possible meanings for many hours into the night. Eventually, Darien was called to the meeting along with the feline guardians Luna and Artemis. While many questions were raised, very few were answered satisfactory. Unfortunately, there were many things that would have to remain a mystery to them at the present moment. It was late into the night before the meeting adjourned, leaving Raye alone to herself. She went to bed straight away, trying to sleep soundly, but it was to no avail. She tossed and turned, worried about the current situation, and its uncertainties. Somewhere in the early twilight hours, she managed to fall asleep.

She only felt like she was asleep for a few minutes before her alarm started blaring. Groggily, she slammed her hand down on the machine to shut it off and rolled out of bed. Rubbing the back of her neck, she walked out of her room towards the kitchen. Her grandfather was awake and already dressed for the day in his Shinto uniform. He sat at the table drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. He squinted his eyes while holding the newspaper only an inch from his nose.

Raye immediately headed to the refrigerator for some juice. "Where are your glasses?"

"I don't need those glasses! I can see just fine!"

She stood leaning against the counter as she quietly slipped on her juice. As her grandfather finished a section of the newspaper, he laid it down on the table. Curious, Raye cocked her head to look at the picture on the front page. It was a drawing of a cloaked figure.

"What's that?" She asked.

"What?" Grandpa looked up then noticed what Raye was looking at. "Oh, it's about some vigilante roaming the streets. I don't know. I didn't read it."

"Couldn't read it, you mean."

"Brat."

Raye stepped up to the table and looked down at the paper. She studied the image for a moment, feeling a strange sense of familiarity come upon her. "Hooded Bird-Man Rescues Girl from Thugs," She said, reading the title aloud. Her eyes followed the text of the article. "Last night around 8PM, a woman, identified as Keiko Nakamoto, was walking home from her night job at Udoni Noodle Shop when allegedly ten thugs from the Yakuza came out of the alley and attacked her. They demanded her purse. Nakamoto-san tried to defend herself, and in the struggle, a cloaked man with a white hood flew into the alley to rescue her. 'The bird man flew out of the sky to save me. It was really romantic. He is a true hero,' reports Nakamoto-san. Authorities are unable to identify the civilian who defended Nakamoto-san, and authorities are also investigating the men involved in the attack. As to the nature of this cloaked hero, reports have come in that this man is actually half bird and half man, but as for now, that is all suspicion." Raye finished reading the article and shook her head. "It sounds like a tabloid," She looked at her grandpa.

Her grandfather shrugged while reading the business section. "I thought it sounded too good for a shukanshi (Japanese weekly magazine type). HA, Bird-man! That's funny!"

Raye rolled her eyes. "You _would _think that's funny." She set her cup down into the sink. "I better get ready for school."

Grandpa shook his head. "Bird-Man? Couldn't they come up with a better name than that?" He asked himself.

* * *

It was a nice cool morning as he headed of to school. It was a little bit chilly, but as the sun rose up out of the horizon, the warmth of the light was comforting. He was dressed in his school uniform, black pants and black top with gold buttons. He carried a worn leather messenger bag with all his school books. He reached the bus stop a bit early today so he sat down on the bench to wait. At first, he was alone, but others soon congregated at the stop to wait for the bus.

On the other side of the bench, a woman sat down and began to read the newspaper. At first, Altair paid no attention to her, but as he glanced over, he saw a sketch on the front of the newspaper that looked somewhat familiar. He turned towards the woman with the newspaper and squinted his eyes.

"Bird-Man!" He exclaimed.

The woman looked up from her newspaper, confused by the young man's reaction. "Excuse me?"

Altair stared her for a moment as his shock passed. He shook his head. "Nevermind, I was just looking at your paper."

The woman rolled her eyes and turned back to her paper, shifting her body position to point away from Altair.

"Bird-Man!" He exclaimed to himself. "What a horrible name!" He shook his head and turned forward in his seat. As he waited, he pondered over the recent events of his life. Is this what Queen Serenity meant? He roamed the streets at night protecting the innocent people from petty crimes; but was this really the threat Queen Serenity shared?

It seemed surreal as he sat there. People passed back and forth in the humdrum of life as he sat there—Cars and other automobiles drove along the streets, the railways hummed as train cars floated across their tracks, people bustled along the streets. Life kept moving normally, but here in this moment, his life was anything but normal. He knew of things outside this common existence and experienced them for himself. He looked down at his hands, feeling power surge through them at every moment. He had the ability to call upon his powers at any moment. Day by day, he discovered the extent of these powers, and hopefully, he would soon discover what it was he should be doing with these powers.

Alas, the bus pulled up to the stop. Altair broke from his thoughts and boarded the bus with everyone else waiting at the stop.

* * *

"What is that?" Raye asked, staring at Serena's lunch.

"I made it." Serena said. "It's a peanut butter, pickle, and jalapeño sandwich."

"That's what your mom made you for lunch?" Mina asked.

Serena shook her head. "Mom was sick this morning. Sammy and I had to pack our own lunches."

"I think I'd rather eat what Sammy made," Raye said.

"Have you ever had that kind of sandwich before?" Lita asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, but I just looked around the refrigerator, put some things together, and there you go! A sandwich!" Serena picked up the sandwich and took a big bite. After chewing for a moment, her face turned sour.

Raye tried to hide her smirk, but she burst out into laughter at the sight of Serena's face. "How is it?"

"It's delicious," Serena choked.

"Would you like half…" Ami held out her plastic dish to Serena.

Serena snatched the other half of Ami's turkey sandwich before Ami could even finish her offer and stuffed it in her mouth.

"You're welcome." Ami said, setting her dish down.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I have to do a speech for class. It needs to be about one of my friends. Does anyone want to volunteer?"

"Naturally, it should be me since _I _am your best friend," Mina piped up.

"And my most humble friend too, it appears," Lita said with a smirk.

"I'll do it, Lita. Seriously." Mina said.

Lita nodded. "Alright, you're it, Mina."

As they were about to discuss the speech in further, a young man walked up to the table of girls and bowed. "Mizuno-san, may I speak with you for a few moments?"

Ami looked up from her sandwich and her history textbook. Her mouth was full as she caught a glimpse of him. Her face flushed red as she quickly tried to chew. She swallowed hard, almost choking herself. "Yes?" She said with a gasp.

"Are you alright, Mizuno-san?"

Ami nodded, face still red. "Yes, Ishida-san, thank you. What would you like to speak about?"

"May I sit down?" He motioned to the table. Quickly, the other girls scooted towards the end of the table, giving Ami and the young man plenty of space and yet staying in earshot of the conversation.

Hiro Ishida sat down across from Ami and laid his textbooks down on the table. "I've reserved a room on Wednesdays at 4 in the afternoon for the Science Club. I am planning to have the first meeting in two weeks."

Ami nodded. "Yes, that is good."

"Anyway, I was wondering what particular branch of science you consider to be your favorite or strongest subject."

"One could hardly choose a favorite star in the heavens," She said with a smile. "I would say that I am most fascinated with medical science and biology."

Hiro nodded in agreement. "Yes, I find biology fascinating also. I especially enjoy genetics and heredity."

"Yes, those are fields that I wish I could find more material and research. I am amazed at the developments in the last few years."

Hiro nodded vigorously. "Yes, these are the things I hope we'll be able to discuss in the Science Club. Perhaps you would like to lead the first session and start our topic discussion?"

"I…well…I…uh…um…I don't know. I'm not very good with public speaking."

"I'm sure you'd be a fine speaker, Mizuno-san."

"No, seriously, I am not skilled in public speaking as I am sure you are accustomed to hearing…"

Hiro stood silent for a moment then nodded his head. "Okay, but will you still come to the meeting?"

Ami nodded back. "Yes, I will come."

Hiro stood up and bowed. "Thank you. I will expect you there, Mizuno-san."

"Ami!" The four girls exclaimed in unison as Hiro left the table.

"What?" She looked over at them.

"He was flirting with you!" Mina exclaimed. "Why didn't you say yes?"

"Flirting with me?" Ami's face grew red. "No." She shook her head. "We were only talking about the club…"

"You two were really hitting it off for a moment there with all that science mumbo-jumbo!" Serena squealed.

Ami shook her head frantically. "No, we were just talking! It was nothing!"

"Oh, it was something," Lita chorused. "It was something."

"But…I…" Ami buried her face in her hands.

Mina happily started to hum the wedding march.

"Here comes the bride, all fat and wide…wait…"Serena stopped and noticed as everyone looked at her. "Wait…I didn't mean…fat and wide…no…I…what are the real words to that song again?"

"All dressed in white," Raye said, shaking her head.

"Hmmm," Lita pondered. "Ami Ishida—It doesn't sound too bad."

"Fat and wide Ami Ishida, you mean," Mina piped up with a giggle.

Ami lifted her hands up from her face, glowing like a stop light, then she buried them again as her friends continued.

"I can see it now!" Mina exclaimed. "Hiro and Ami—two geniuses getting married. They'll have eight ridiculously smart kids who will probably be able to lift cars with their mental brain powers."

"Lifting cars with their brain powers?" Raye asked, half-laughing. "Sounds like you've been reading too many comic books again."

"You just wait. It'll happen." Mina said, raising an eyebrow.

"_You're_ ridiculous," Lita said.

"Can we forget this happened?" Ami asked, her voice muffled from her hands.

"Never!" Serena piped up. "The Red Ninja of Love is involved in getting Ami a boyfriend!"

"Oh, dear," The other girls sighed concurrently.

* * *

It was a Friday night, but Raye didn't feel like going out. She immediately went home from school to the Shrine. She changed her clothes, did some of her homework, read a magazine then quietly ate dinner with her grandfather. She retired to her bedroom early that night. She read through some assigned chapters for school then drifted off into sleep with her books spread over the bed. When she awoke a couple of hours later, it still was only 9:30 at night. She got out of bed, picking up her textbooks, and headed towards the door to the deck. She opened it, looking out into the courtyard. It was gently raining. The smell of the damp air and the cool breeze filled her room quickly. The darkness of the night beckoned to her as she stood within her warm and well-lit room. She looked over her shoulder towards her bed. Underneath, she still kept her Sailor pen. It had been a long time. A smirk crept upon Raye's face and soon, she was out on the streets of Tokyo as Sailor Mars.

It felt good having power rush through her veins once again—to feel the warmth and passion of the fire coursing through her body, burning at her fingertips, crying out for release. She could run faster, jump higher, leap farther, and do everything else better as the Sailor Soldier. For thrills, she wandered the dark streets leaping from building to building. Everything from this vantage point was different. She was looking at the same streets she walked on almost everyday but from above. As a Sailor on patrol, she often walked along the rooftops looking for trouble, but it had been while since she had been up there. She had seen this angle of the city before, but it being so long ago, it felt like seeing it for the first time again.

As the gentle rain fell from the heavens, she walked along the rooftops, careful not to fall or be seen by those below. Most of the rooftops connected, giving her easy access to them one by one, but she came up to a large alleyway. She looked across, uncertain of the distance. Could she make it? She walked up to it to judge the distance across and the distance down if she fell. Something immediately inside of her screamed in fear, but clenched her hand, remembering that she was a Sailor Scout.

Sailor Mars backed up slowly upon the rooftop. She paused at the proper distance and took a deep breath. She glanced up to the dark sky for a moment. A drop of rain struck against her cheek and rolled down. She looked forward and let loose a yell. She ran forward, and at the right moment, she pushed off the ground and stretched out her legs. Sailor Mars glided through the air over the alleyway and as she landed, her knees bent to support her. Her long flowing hair draped over her as she remained in her landing position. A wide smirk spread across her face.

A thunderous sound echoed through the city. Sailor Mars turned around. The sound was strong and close, rattling the buildings. Across the city, a pillar of glowing red light stretched up to the heavens, appearing to have no end. Surges of red lightning trickled out from the pillar. As the sound wave shot through the city, Sailor Mars immediately felt the disturbance of evil.

She took off towards the pillar. She ran along the rooftops for a few moments, but as she grew closer, she leapt down into the street and continued to run. If the other Sailors were at their homes, she would be the closest to the event anyway. Finally, she turned a corner, finding the source of the pillar of light. Out of the ground, the pillar had burst up. Sailor Mars stood for a moment, taking in the sight before her. Not only was the sight before her breathtaking, her sense of discernment was overloaded.

The light stopped, disappearing fast. A large crater was all that was left of the incident. Sailor Mars was about to take a step forward, but she stopped, not seeing the need to as a mysterious figure approached her.

He appeared human—perhaps not like an ordinary human—but he appeared to be human. He had the build and frame of a man, but his hair was bright red, spiky, and seemed to defy the laws of gravity. His clothes were black, like the night. His shirt did not have sleeves, showing his bare arms, but he wore black gloves over his hands. The gloves did not have fingers, but upon the outside of the glove on his left hand there was a small red jewel on the top of his hand.

As the man approached, Sailor Mars drew into a fighting stance. He continued to approach.

"There's no need for that," He said while raising his hand to her.

"What do you mean?"

"Just give me what I want, and I'll be on my way."

"Who are you, and what is it that you want?"

The man stopped walking once he was a few yards away from Sailor Mars. They stared each other down for a moment, but Sailor Mars did not let up her guard. He spoke as though he was kind, but she knew better.

"I am here to retrieve the Moon Crystal."

"I don't have it." Sailor Mars spat.

"I am also here to collect the Sailor pens."

"And that I won't give to you!"

"Hand it over, and I might let you live." He said with a smile while reaching out his hand.

Sailor Mars clenched her fist. "You wouldn't let me live even if I_ did_ hand it over without a fight!"

The man smirked. "Yes, I suppose I have a disliking for cowards, and you're right. I would have killed you anyway." A fireball flew towards him, but he swatted it away with his hand. He chuckled as frustration washed over Sailor Mars face for missing her target. "Do you wish to die painfully or peacefully? That is your choice tonight."

"How about neither!" Sailor Mars leapt into the air. Furious, she called upon one of her most powerful attacks, the Mars Flame Shooter. She carefully aimed the attack towards the man, making sure to hit her target this time, and she released the arrow of fire from her golden bow. The shot was straight for his heart, but with his left hand, the man reached up and caught the arrow before it pierced his chest. The energy surrounding the arrow dissipated, leaving a golden arrow behind.

She continued to look forward towards the man, but trembling, she reached behind her back. Holding her Sailor communicator, she felt around for the contact button, but before she fount it, she felt her face being struck with the man's fist. She immediately crashed into the ground, dropping the communicator.

The man watched as the Sailor Scout flew into the pavement from his attack, but he glanced down at his feet for a moment. The thin pink communicator lay on the ground. He lifted up his foot, crushing the communicator, as he walked closer to his prey. Sailor Mars rolled over onto her back, and as she saw her enemy approach slowly, she scooted away from him, trying to scramble to her feet.

"I love a chase," He said, approaching ever closer. But before she could stand to her feel, he disappeared then reappeared right in front of her. He squatted down to be able to look her in the eye. She gasped as their noses were now only inches apart.

"Who are you?" She asked, barely above a whisper.

"Is that something you really need to know?" He asked.

"I want to know my enemy," She said, narrowing her eyes.

He nodded. "I suppose I'll comply with your last wish." He stood up straight, and immediately, Sailor Mars scooted back and scrambled to her feet. He smirked at her feeble attempts and glanced away. "My name is Kieran. I would tell you to remember it, but you won't need to in the afterlife."

"I wouldn't be so sure of yourself, Kieran!" Sailor Mars hollered as her fists burst into flames. She charged at him, swinging a fiery punch towards his face. Not only did he block, but he countered with another attack, striking her head. As she stumbled backwards, she took another blow to the stomach. She grabbed her stomach as she felt her breath leave her body.

As she stood hunched over, the dark warrior held out his left hand. The red jewel set within his glove began to glow. Red light shot out from the jewel and hit Sailor Mars. She flew across the street into the closest building. She melted to her knees after being thrown against the wall by the blast. The warrior continued to stretch out his hand, firing more blasts at her. Just when she find herself on her feet, she would crash into the wall of the building once again by the powerful red light. He fired at her over and over again, until it appeared that she could no longer get up. He waited, relishing in her lifeless appearance, but after a few moments, she began to move. He had already put his arm down, but as she struggled to get up one last time, he slowly raised his hand once again.

"Goodbye, Sailor Mars." The red light shot out from his hand once again. Just as she stood straight up, she saw the light coming at her. Her arms came up to shield her, but as the blast was about to engulf her, a shadow stepped in front of her. The red light was deflected upwards by a bluish shield of energy. Sailor Mars collapsed to the ground at the force of the collision. When she was able to look up, there was a cloaked man shielding her from the red light with a sword. Finally the light died down.

The dark warrior, Kieran, looked puzzled as he withdrew his hand. He started for a moment at the strange between him and his prey. His opposition was a man dressed in a white cloak, and he carried a sword. He had never seen the stranger before, but whoever he was, he was obstructing the attack on Sailor Mars. Kieran stood, staring at the stranger curiously, then disappeared.

Reappearing before the stranger, he threw a kick, but it was defected with the broadside of the stranger's sword. Kieran used the sword to push off and landed a short distance away from the stranger. The stranger did not wait long to attack. He charged forward, swinging his sword. Kieran dodged narrowly then leapt backwards, trying to gain some distance. The stranger pursued furiously as Kieran frantically tried to flee.

"How does it feel to be chased like an animal?" The stranger hollered out as Kieran tried to escape. Finally, Kieran turned, landing a soft kick on the stranger's chest. The stranger jolted back for a moment, giving time for Kieran to hold his left hand into the air and fire a blast of energy. A beam of red light shot up into the sky. As it came back down, it split into multiple beams of energy, raining down on the stranger. As the stranger dodged the raining energy, Kieran made his escape. After all the energy was dissipated, the stranger was left in the street alone. He looked for a trace of the enemy, but he was gone. The stranger then turned his attention to Sailor Mars. He ran over to the fallen warrior.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"I...think…" She tried to stand up, taking the stranger's arm for aid. "I think…so…" She fainted in his arms.


	4. What We Call Things

**Episode Four**

**What We Call Things**

After his battle, he ran over to the girl collapsed on the ground. She clearly was hurt, bruised and bloodied, but as she reached out for him, he took a hold of her arms and helped her up.

He didn't know what to say, but a common question, "Are you alright?" rolled off the tip of his tongue.

And it was as she tried to affirm her wellbeing, she fainted in his arms. Her body, becoming limp, almost slumped back to the ground, but he pulled her up with his strong arms and held the lifeless girl in his arms.

"Oh, dear! What am I supposed to do?" He asked himself aloud, frantically looking around for help. The streets were emptied long ago at the beginning of the attack. He had no choice. He lifted her up into his arms and leapt high into the air.

* * *

He knelt next to the bed, soaking a towel in warm water. He then rung it out and brought it to the girl's face, cleaning the blood and cuts she acquired from battle. Sailor Mars lay unconscious upon his bed while he mended her wounds. He did not know where she came from or who would take care of her—he had to bring her back here. When he finished cleaning the cuts on her face, he stood up, taking the water bowl with him, and headed towards the kitchen of the apartment. He then walked back over to the bed and took a blanket from the foot of the bed. Before covering her, he stared down at her for a moment. She was a beautiful creature to behold. As he stood there, a faint blush came to his cheeks as he admired her. He shook his head in embarrassment and covered her up with the warm blanket.

While she slept, he looked around the apartment for items that might reveal his identity. He put away all his textbooks, notebooks, loose papers, bus pass, or anything else that could reveal his name to this stranger. He made quick work of that, and then, he started turning off the lights. He left one lamp on which dimly illuminated the apartment. There was a rickety wooden chair near the bed, and on it, he perched himself for the night. Lifting one leg up, he rested his head against his knee and looked upon his guest one more time before closing his eyes to rest.

It was in the twilight hours that Altair woke up from his sleep in the chair. He groggily looked around the room as the first rays of the morning sun poured into the room. His patient still was sound asleep, but as he looked over, one of the scratches on her cheek looked freshly disturbed. He got up from the wooden chair and headed to the kitchen to prepare a damp cloth. He then headed back over to the bed and knelt down beside her. Gently, he reached up and wiped the fresh blood off her cheek, but as the towel rubbed against her face, she began to stir. Altair jolted back in surprise as the woman started to shift. Her eyelashes began to flutter, and soon, her violet eyes opened to the room. The first thing she noticed was the stranger kneeling next to her bed. Her eyebrows rose questioningly.

"Bird-Man?" She asked, her voice soft and meek.

He sighed, lowering his head. "I see you've read the papers."

"What is your real name?" She asked, noticing by his sigh that the name the paper dubbed him with was an irritation.

He glanced back up at her. Still, his white hood covered the top half of his face in shadows. He always kept his head bowed and his hood up to protect his identity. Only the bottom of his face was revealed, and what remained in the shadows was a mystery that cried out to her curiosity as Sailor Mars lay in the bed.

"I don't know if that is something I can tell you," He said.

She slowly sat up and leaned her back into the headboard of the bed. "You seem to be an ally, at least. What should I call you when I speak of you to my friends?"

"And perhaps it would be better if you didn't speak of me at all."

"Why not?" She asked. "Who are you? What do you know about what happened last night?"

Altair shook his head. "I know nothing. I only saw the pillar of light from across the city. I went to it, and I found you there."

Sailor Mars nodded. "You appeared to handle that man very well."

"He was unprepared for my presence. A mistake he will not make again."

"What do you mean?"

"He was holding back," Altair said. "He was unaware of who I was, and thus, probably felt that he could not make an executive decision such as killing me."

"So he is not the source of this problem."

Altair shook his head. "No, I don't believe so."

"But he obviously feared you. You're not with them so you must be on our side." Sailor Mars said.

"What do you mean by _our side_?"

"My friends and I—the Sailor Scouts." She extended her hand towards Altair. "I am Sailor Mars, Soldier of Flame and Passion."

Altair took her hand. "Well, I suppose, I'm Bird-Man." He said, a small smirk spreading across his stoic face.

The Sailor chuckled. "Perhaps we can think of a better name for you. Superheroes always need a good name."

"I wouldn't call myself a _superhero_…"

"But you saved my life," She interrupted.

"Yes, I…" He glanced down for a moment, noticing he was still holding her hand. He quickly withdrew his hand to his side. "I'm sorry."

"Yes," She glanced away. "Sorry."

At that moment, he was glad to be covered in his cloak, to hide his blushing face from the world. Awkward silence fell between them. He bowed his head lower while she glanced around at her surroundings, but as she sat there on the bed, she couldn't help her attention being drawn back to the man before.

"You seem familiar to me," She said, staring at him curiously. "I like know you already."

He looked up. "You know me?"

Sailor Mars shook her head gently. "I don't know. I don't think I've ever met you, but you seem…"

"What?"

"Familiar." She shook her head in awe. "You just seem familiar."

More silence came. But after a few moments, Altair cleared his throat. "Are you hungry?"

Sailor Mars took a moment to think about her condition. Actually, she was starving but didn't take the time to realize it. She nodded her head vigorously. He stood up and headed over to the kitchen. He looked around in the cupboards and the refrigerator for something to make.

"I have eggs and rice. Is that okay?"

"Yes, that is fine. Thank you."

While he began to prepare a breakfast for her, she looked around the apartment. It was small and empty with only a few meager possessions. Whoever this stranger was, he must struggle in everyday life, she thought to herself. She felt sorry for him, especially knowing how kind he was by saving her life, but there was nothing she could do for him at the moment. She turned her attention back to him. "Have you thought of any names besides Bird-Man?"

Altair shrugged. "I've tried, but nothing fits."

"Nothing?"

He looked over at her. "I was going to call myself Sailor Mars, but apparent, that is already taken."

"Shut up," She said with a smirk.

He smirked too and turned his attention back to cooking.

"I'm serious. What should I call you?"

"I don't think it really matters."

"Of course it does," She almost laughed, noticing that she was beginning to irritate him. She folded her arms over her stomach. "You remind me of an eagle or a powerful bird."

"Oh really?"

She nodded. "Yes, but you are not dark like a raven." She pondered for a moment. "I will have to think about this."

It only took him a few minutes to finish making her breakfast. He brought it over to her with a glass of water and a folk. She thanked him for it and began to eat. He took a seat on the wooden chair and watched as she ate. After taking a few bites, she looked up at him. "You are like a bird of fire within the storm of the desert."

He looked up at her. The words she spoke brought reminiscence to his visions and dreams of the desert.

"You should call yourself the Phoenix."

"Phoenix?" He questioned.

"It's better than Bird-Man!"

He shrugged, agreeing with her. "But will the newspapers like it?"

"It doesn't matter if they like it." She looked up at him, a small smile appearing on her face. "That is what _I _shall call you."

He nodded, as only the tiniest twinge of a smile appeared on his face. He glanced away from a moment then looked back at her. "How is your breakfast?"

"It's good. Thank you."

He nodded.

She finished her breakfast in silence while he sat upon the wooden chair waiting for her. When she was done, he took the plate from her and put it in the kitchen sink. While he did that, she raised her arms and stretched them above her head. It dawned on her as the morning sunlight poured into the apartment. "What time is it?"

Altair glanced over at his clock in the kitchen. "6:15."

Sailor Mars' eyes bulged. She immediately tossed the covers aside and got up out of bed. "I have to go! Grand…" She stopped herself, looking at Altair. "I have to go," She repeated.

Altair looked over at her, pondering for a moment. If he let her walk out that door, she would know the location of his apartment, and then, it would only be few a few more steps to finding out his identity.

Sailor Mars sensed the complication as he looked at her. "We are at an impasse, I suppose."

He nodded gently. "If you leave, I must take you blindfolded."

Sailor Mars nodded. "I understand. You must take me to a common location, and you must not follow me."

"Agreed." He looked around the kitchen for something to blindfold her. He could find nothing except for a ratty dishtowel. As he searched, Sailor Mars cleared her throat. He looked up at her. She held up a white, silk handkerchief.

He walked over, taking it from her, then stood behind her. She tucked her long flowing ebony hair behind her ears while he tied the handkerchief around her eyes.

"Is it too tight?"

"No," She said softly.

"Can you see?"

"No."

"Alright then. Where shall I take you?"

"Do you know where Azabu district is?"

"Yes, I know it."

"How will you lead me there when I am blindfolded?"

"I shall have to carry you."

Sailor Mars' cheeks turned pink.

And on his back he carried her, leaping from building to building, carefully avoiding any witnesses. He circled through many streets of the city, making sure to disorient her, for in reality, he lived very close to the Azabu district. Once he found a safe place to land, he set her down on the ground. Gingerly, she removed the blindfold and looked around. She recognized immediately where she was at—Shiba Park, near Tokyo Tower.

"Can you find your way from here?" He asked, looking around for any witnesses.

"Yes, I'll be fine."

He looked back to her. "I hope you are feeling better, Sailor Mars."

She nodded. "Yes, I am." She paused for a moment, looking up at him, trying to discern through the darkness of his hood what his face looked like.

"I must go." He said.

"As must I."

He turned around to walk away. Sailor Mars stood watching for a moment, but as he was about to disappear. She called out to him. He stopped, and looked back at her over his shoulder.

"Thank you…Phoenix."

He nodded then walked around the corner of a large bush. Sailor Mars headed down one of the pathways, making sure it was safe to dispense her powers, and when it was safe, she used the power of her Sailor pen to return to being a normal girl once again. Quietly, as the morning sun rose higher in the sky, she headed back to the Hikawa Shrine. She hadn't been up that early in a long time. Eventually, she came to the stairway that descended high into the sky and groaned. She moved her tired body up the stairs, across the courtyard, and into the house. She was quiet and careful as she slipped into her bedroom. She changed her clothes, threw back the covers on her bed, crawled in, and closed her eyes. It felt so good to be in warm clothes and to snuggle in her bed after such a long night. A small smile crept upon her face as she remembered her mysterious rescuer. She quickly started to fall asleep.

A few moments later, the door to Raye's bedroom slid open. "Wake up, Raye! It's a beautiful day!" Grandpa said, bursting into the room. "And besides, I need your help with something."

Raye groaned and threw the covers over her head.

* * *

Her thoughts were elsewhere as she looked up towards the clock. It was almost the noon hour, but she did not notice, despite staring directly at the clock. At the moment, she thought about her beloved Darien, and since her stomach was growling, she also thought about a chocolate cake. A smile came to her lips however as she thought about her beloved holding a chocolate cake with her name on it.

Her name was written in blue icing, and her beloved swiped his finger over the chocolate frosting, smiling as he put his finger in his mouth. "I made this cake for you, darling. Won't you have a bite? It's _so_ good."

"Yes, Darien, I will…" Serena said aloud.

Ami trapped Serena's book with her pencil. "Serena, pay attention!" She said.

Serena jerked back, shaking her head. Suddenly, she snapped out of her daydream back into reality. She was in her kitchen at home, and her friend Ami was sitting at the kitchen table with her.

"Magna Carta!" Serena blurted out.

Ami put her hand over her forehead. "Serena, that was five chapters ago. We're on the Enlightenment now."

Serena groaned. "Why do I need to know anything about Western Civilization? I don't even live in the west!"

Ami sighed. "I know, but if you want to pass and graduate this year, you must know it."

Wearing an apron and happily humming, Serena's mother, Ikuko Tsukino, walked into the kitchen and immediately headed to the stove top where she prepared lunch for her family. She picked up a wooden spoon and started stirring the noodles for her spaghetti. Glancing back over her shoulder for a moment, she noticed her daughter, tuning out of the lecture, as Ami tried to tutor Serena about the Enlightenment of Western Europe. Ikuko sighed, knowing her daughter would never care, but wishing her daughter would have more ambition when it came to school. Serena's father, Kenji, and Ikuko decided it would be a good idea to hire Serena's friend, Ami Mizuno, as a tutor, and it seemed to help. Serena now at least passing her classes with a C- average, but nothing appeared to motivate the girl to study harder. She sighed again.

There was a pause in conversation as Ami asked Serena to read the next paragraph and summarize the main concepts, but as Serena tapped her pencil against her face, her mind was far from history at the present moment. "So?" Serena said with a smile. "Have you talked to Hiro lately?"

"Serena, that isn't important right now," Ami said with a blush.

Ikuko spun around from the stove top. "You have a gentleman admirer?"  
"No!" Ami blurted out.

"Yes!" Serena blurted out.

Ikuko rushed over to the table and took a seat across from Ami. Excitedly, she reached forward, taking a hold of Ami's hands. "Tell me all about it!"

"There's nothing really to say, Tsukino-san." Ami said, glancing away, still blushing furiously.

"C'mon, Ami!" Serena threw down her pencil and leaned back in her chair. "I think something is up! I've known you too long, and you're such a bad liar!"

Sammy, Serena's little brother, walked into kitchen. "Mom, do we have any soda?"

Ikuko glanced over at him. "No, Sammy, I don't want you drinking soda before lunch."

"Awe, Mom!"

"We have other things. Drink some juice or water."

Sammy sighed and went over to the refrigerator.

Ikuko looked back to Ami. "Now tell me, who is this young man?"

Ami was speechless so Serena decided to fill in the details. "He's a senior at our school, and he's pretty cute too," Serena said. "Oh, yeah, and he likes science too. Just like Ami does!"

"Oh?" Ikuko said with a smile which made Ami blush even more.

"Well…I…it's nothing…"

"Trust me, mom, it's not _nothing_."

"Well, he has called me on the telephone…"

Serena and Ikuko immediately started to squeal. Amazingly, both women squealed at the same pitch, stared at the same time, and kept the same duration. Sammy, with his eyebrow raised, pulled his head out of the refrigerator and looked over at his mother and sister. He shook his head and immediately left the kitchen with a juice box. A few moments later, the women stopped.

"What did he say?" Ikuko asked in an excited gasp.

Ami shrugged. "We're meeting for coffee tonight to talk about the Science Club."

"A date!" Serena squealed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not a date! It's a meeting!"

Ikuko shook her head. "Honey, it's a date." She smiled. "If he really wanted to talk about the Science Club, he would have done it at school."

A frantic look washed over Ami's face. "It a date," She said, realizing it for the first time. "What do I do?"

"Don't worry!" Serena exclaimed. "We'll help you. Right, mom?"

Ikuko nodded. "Right!" She glanced back down at the textbooks on the table. "Yes, right after Serena finishes studying," She said remembering that she had to be a responsible parent.

Serena groaned. "Oh, mom!"

* * *

Ami was never the type to vent her frustrations, but she came close to it as Serena and Ikuko argued back and forth about how they should dress their new toy doll. They had her short blue hair that was normally in a bob-style in beautiful gentle curls. They put her in a black cocktail dress, in which Ami felt incredibility out of place, and threw white pearls around her neck. Before she could object, they threw her out the door of the Tsukino home and set her on the way to her date.

She was to meet him at five in the evening at Café Sérénité. It was a small little shop tucked away in the streets of Tokyo. It was a causal and quiet place, great for homework, but she already knew that she was going to feel uncomfortable in her dress as she walked down the street. She already was uncomfortable from the looks she got on the bus and down the street from other men, but finally to her relief, she had made it to the Café. She looked through the window to see if Hiro was already there. He was not, so she decided to wait outside. She stood, waiting for a few moments.

"Ami-san?"

She turned around, seeing the look on his face. "Hello,"

"You…you look wonderful."

She blushed, looking down to her feet. "My friend…and her mother…did this to me."

"They should do it more often," He said, mumbling.

"What?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Nothing!" He exclaimed. He laughed nervously. "Shall we go inside?"

"Yes, let's." She moved towards the door, and Hiro opened the door for her. They found their way to the table in the back and set down their things before heading up to the counter to order drinks.

He glanced over to her for a moment. "I wished I would have dressed to match you, Ami-san."

"No, no," She said. "It was my friends. Trust me. I didn't plan on coming like this. I tried to tell them it was just a meeting, but they wouldn't listen."

"Yes," He glanced away. "Just a meeting. If that's what you want to call it."

They ordered their drinks, and as he paid, Ami pondered the implications again. They sat back down at their table and waited for their drinks to come.

"So what exactly did you want to talk to me about?" Ami asked.

"Well, I…I suppose I should just say it." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I really think you should reconsider speaking at the group."

"I don't know." She looked down at her hands. "I've never felt comfortable in front of a crowd."

"Why not?"

Ami kept her head down. "I don't…feel…very confident." She looked away. "I feel like everyone is judging me. I feel exposed to the world, and they can see right through me. I feel like they can see everything that is wrong with me."

"But there's nothing wrong with you!" He said, attracting the attention of the tables around him. "You're perfect!" He stopped, blushing. "I mean, you're just so very smart and kind…"

"Hiro?" She questioned.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is…"

An old man sitting by himself at table near by looked up at them. "Would you just tell her you like her already so there can be some peace and quiet in here?"

"I'm sorry, sir," Hiro said. He glanced back at Ami sheepishly. "Well." He cleared his throat. "I like you, Ami. I think we'd do really well if we…"

"Yes," She nodded. "I also think we'd do well in the Science Club together."

Hiro sighed while shaking his head. "Yes, there's that too, but I think we'd to well together if we…if I…if…"

"Just split it out!" The old man snapped.

"Ami Mizuno, will you be my girlfriend?" He blurted out.

Ami's face flushed completely red.

* * *

For the first time in her life, Serena was at school early. She waited all weekend, calling Ami every hour to find out what happened, but still did not have an answer. She and informed the others of the development, and all four of them ended up getting to school early to speak with Ami. Some of them, Lita and Raye for instance, were skeptical about the situation, but that did not stop Serena and Mina from daydreaming about the situation.

Lita sighed. "Why do we have to wait here? I really have to use the restroom."

"I'm telling you! We have to talk to Ami and see what happened first!" Serena said. "I've called her at least ten times, and she hasn't answered back! I need to know!"

"Let me fill you in. I bet they had coffee, talked about science, and went home," Raye said. "It was just a meeting. She tried to tell you that."

"She says that, but I bet it's not true!" Mina said. "Why don't you leave if you don't care?"

Raye sighed. "Well, I need Ami to fix my communicator. It was broken, remember? Perhaps we should be concentration on our recent developments on the enemy rather than the recent gossip that probably isn't true?"

Serena sighed. "Maybe you're right, Raye. After all, you were attacked, and if it wasn't for that Bird guy, you'd we in bad shape."

"Thank you, Serena." Raye folded her arms over her chest. "It's about time that you started acting like a leader."

"Oh my!" Lita exclaimed. Everyone turned around. Approaching from the street, Ami came holding the hand of her new boyfriend, Hiro Ishida. The new couple looked very happy as they spoke to one another. She led him up to her friends with a shy smile upon her face.

"Hello everyone."

"Hello," They all uttered, completely in shock.

"This is Ishida Hiro," She motioned to him with a smile. "My boyfriend."

He smiled at the title and said hello to the girls. They all said hello back, friendly but still in shock. He bid goodbye to Ami, having to do some errands before class, and headed into the building. As he left, the girls started squealing. They all embraced her in a giant hug.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Serena exclaimed. "Ami has a boyfriend! Ami has a boyfriend!"

"Ami! How did it happen?" Lita asked.

"Where did it happen?"

"How did he ask you?"

"Was it romantic?"

"What did he say?"

Ami blushed as a thousand questions fired in her direction. "I tell you at lunch. Right now, I've got to go get my books for class."

The girls moaned.


	5. Apprentice

**Episode Five**

**Apprentice**

He was known as The Seeker within the shadows of the Negaverse. Embedded in his very left hand was a crystal that possessed the capabilities of sensing fragments of the Moon Crystal. Within the darkness, he knelt quietly, waiting for his master. And out of the darkness, she came.

She was a frail woman, looking hardly threatening at all, but mostly sickly and pale-skinned by appearance. She moved about the ground like any other person in her condition—slowly and cautiously. Her tired face was thin and worn, but her eyes were harsh, filled with hatred and anger. Framing her face, her long white hair glistened with a silver tint in the dim light. He tightly fitted black dress flowed out around her ankles and dragged behind her in a trail.

"You called for me, my Lady?"

"Have you found anything?"

He shook his head. "No, my Lady. I was hoping not to disturb you until I have found something…"

"What has prevented your progress?"

"A warrior, my Lady."

"Princess Serenity?"

"No, my Lady, it is not Princess Serenity or her guardians. They are weak, soft from the years of peace."

"What happened then, Seeker?"

"I confronted Serenity's Fire Guardian, Sailor Mars. With the power of the crystal in my hand, I easily defeated her, but a strange warrior came to confront me. He was not incapable, if I might say."

The woman pondered for a moment. "Was it that Prince of the Earth?"

"No, my Lady," Kieran said. "I am unaware of this man—he was cloaked in white, and he flies like an eagle. I need your powers to discover who he is, and what we should do about him."

The woman nodded. "I shall consult the spirits then." She looked at her servant. "Begone! Continue your search!"

"Yes, my Lady," Kieran said, just before disappearing.

Frustration washed upon her face as she turned around. Stepping back into the darkness, she headed towards her resting chambers. The room was cut and shaped like a tomb for that is what it was. This room was the tomb she was buried in at her death, but unknown to the rest of the world, she had never died completely. She walked over to a water fountain amidst the room and glanced down at her reflection. Gingerly, she reached up, pulling down the right side of her dress. Just under her collarbone, a deep gash, dark and black, cut through her skin. It was a deep wound that appeared as if it never healed properly. She started at her reflection for a few moments, but as she stood there, anger washed over her face.

She closed her eyes, stepping back into her memories that were just as fresh as yesterday. It was over a thousand years ago when she received that scar, but it still ached as though her flesh was torn into yesterday. She kept her hand over the wound, feeling the rage of memories surge through her.

There was an altar at the north wall. She passed the crystal coffin in the middle of the room and stood before the altar. She took her hand off her shoulder and raised it with the other one. She closed her eyes, summoning her powers. Behind the altar, the high pillars of crystal that rose to the ceiling started to glow. Soon, an image appeared hovering above the altar.

The woman looked up, smirk spread across her face. The image that appeared before her was of a woman, cruel and pale looking. Her hair was long with gentle waves of red and her nails were long. She wore a purple dress and silver jewelry.

"Beryl," The woman uttered.

"What is it you want? Why do you awaken me from my slumber once again?"

"It's not like the beauty sleep has been helping," The woman said with a snicker.

"Why should I bother telling you anything? Haven't I told you everything that you needed to know?"

"Tell me who the warrior in white is."

"The warrior in white?" Beryl paused for a moment.

"Yes, a white cloaked warrior. Supposedly, he flies like an eagle."

Beryl's eyes narrowed. "The General."

"General?" The woman asked. "I thought you told me of everyone I needed to seek and destroy! You did not mention a General! You lied to me!"

"I did not lie! He is…well…was Queen Serenity's General. He fought in the Great War and was killed with the rest of them. He is of no consequence."

"Then why didn't you tell me about him?"

"He simply was not in opposition when I arose to challenge the Sailor Scouts. Perhaps his powers have been awakened now. He was such a nuisance during the Silver Millennium, but after that, I never saw him again."

The woman put her hand to her chin to think. "Perhaps so, but he must be dealt with. My Seeker says he is powerful."

"That is your problem," Beryl said.

The woman looked Beryl straight in the eye. "You would do well to not take that tone with the future Empress of this Galaxy."

"What are you going to do? Kill me?" Beryl said with a smirk.

"You may be dead, but your only hope of revenge is through me! If you want Serenity to suffer then you're going to have to obey me!"

Beryl fell silent. "As you wish, Lady Morana."

"Now, tell me more about this General. Tell me everything you know."

* * *

It was a normal day as Altair walked home from school. Luckily, his messenger bag was light today because he finished most of his homework at school. From the strain of having a new role in the universe, he at first found it difficult to manage his schoolwork, his personal life, and his duties as a warrior now, but finally, he began to feel like his life was in balance.

He walked into the old brick apartment building, turned down the hallway, and came to his door.

"What?"

He snatched the eviction notice off his door and immediately charged down the hallway to his landlord's office. The door was already open, so he took the liberty of walking straight into the room, and he marched up to the man's desk.

The landlord, a middle-aged man who was skinny with a bushy mustache, jabbered loudly on the telephone, ignoring the presence of the young man for a few moments. He laughed and spoke obnoxiously on the telephone, only stopping to take a puff on his cigar. Finally, he hung up the telephone and looked at Altair. "What do you want, kid?"

"What is the meaning of this?" Altair held up the eviction notice. "I always pay my rent on time! I've never caused any problems! I've never asked you for anything!"

"That's the way the world works, kid. Deal with it." He took a puff off his cigar then blew the smoke into Altair's face.

Altair wrinkled his nose. "What reason do you have to evict me?"

"I own the place? Do I need a reason?"

"Well, it _would_ help." Altair narrowed his eyes.

"It's just business, kid. My brother needs a place so I gave him one."

Altair sighed. "Alright. At the end of the month, I'll be gone."

"End of the month?" The landlord snorted. "You've got three days."

"Three days!" Altair exclaimed. "I paid you for a full month! I demand a refund if you're going to do that! And besides, how do you expect me move out and find a place in three days?"

"If you read your contract, kid, there are no refunds."

"Yes, but, this is unethical!"

"That's the way life is." He shrugged his shoulders and took another puff.

"What am I supposed to do?"

The landlord leaned back in his chair. "I'd get looking if I were you." He said, laughing as if it were a joke.

Altair frowned.

"You better be out by Saturday morning, kid, and I've got a business to run here so get going."

Altair left the office with a deep sigh.

* * *

"Hey, Lita?"

"Yes?" Lita answered as they walked down the sidewalk on a sunny Friday afternoon.

"What is the capital of Chile?"

"Um…" Lita pondered. "Lima? No, that's Peru. Santiago! It's Santiago."

"Thanks." Mina scribbled down the answer while walking along.

Lita raised an eyebrow at her blonde friend. "Mina, since when do you do your homework on a Friday?"

"When Sasaki Kai has an acoustic concert on Saturday night."

"Who's that?"

"He's this really cute guy in my business class."

Lita shook her head. "Why am I not surprised?"

"You should come with me," Mina said. "What is the tributary of the Amazon that starts at the port city of Manaus?"

"How would I know? Why don't you ask, Ami?"

"Didn't you take this class?"

Lita glanced over. "I took it _last year_, and with a _different _teacher."

"Anyway, will you come with me?"

"What kind of music is it?"

"It's like Indie or Folk—like coffee house stuff, you know."

Lita shrugged. "I wouldn't say that I'm into the Indie scene, Mina."

"Oh, come on!" Mina hooked her arm through Lita's arm and pulled her close. "Please! I don't want to go all by my little lonesome self!"

Lita rolled her eyes. "Fine!"

"Great! You'll love it!"

The two of them approached the Hikawa Shrine. They began the long ascent upwards to the Shrine grounds.

"I don't think Raye's grandfather has read my comment in the suggestion box yet," Mina said, huffing and puffing.

"Yeah, what was that?" Lita asked.

"To install an escalator," Mina said with a smile.

Lita grinned. "Perhaps if you worked for him, he'd listen to your ideas?"

Mina gave Lita a playful shove. "Shut up! Why don't you work for him?"

"I'm not the one with all the great ideas to improve the Shrine!" Lita laughed. After a few more steps, they reached the top of the stairs. Immediately, they saw their friends standing in the middle of the courtyard. Raye, dressed in her priestess uniform, conversed with Ami and Serena while a black cat sat at her feet. Mina and Lita approached the group.

"Hey, Ami, what's the tributary of the Amazon that starts at the port city of Manaus?"

Ami thought about it for a moment. "The Rio Negro."

"Thanks." Mina wrote down the answer then slipped her homework into her backpack.

Raye looked around at the gathering. "Is anyone else coming to the meeting?"

"No, Darien had to work this evening," Serena said.

"Where's Artemis?" Lita looked around, only seeing one cat.

Luna jumped up onto Ami's shoulder. "Probably running late as always."

"Why don't you all go ahead and wait in my room. I've got to run an errand first then I will join you. By the time Artemis gets here, I should be done." Raye headed off into the Shrine.

As Raye left, the girls started to head towards Raye's bedroom to wait, but just as they did, they overheard the voice of Raye's grandfather talking up a storm. They turned around.

He wasn't far away from them—just across the courtyard. As usual, he stood in-between a group of girls trying to convince them that working at the Shrine part-time was the opportunity of a lifetime.

"But, I'm a Buddhist, Sir," One girl said.

Grandpa waved his hand as if it were nothing. "You can convert. Buddhism has greatly influenced Shinto in the last thousand years." Grandpa turned his head towards another pretty young girl. "How about you? You look like you could use an after school job."

"Well," The girl said. "I have been looking for a way to make a little extra money."

"That's great! We could use a pretty young girl like you."

"What would I have to do?"

Mina stood with an amused look on her face. "I can't believe it. I think he might have her convinced."

"Good. Maybe he'll stop asking us?" Lita said with a smile.

"Oh, I don't mind it so much," Serena said. "After all these years, it's become something of a game or inside joke between us."

"Yeah, except Raye's grandpa is serious," Mina said.

From her body language, the girl appeared to be interested in the offer. Grandpa enthusiastically told the girl everything she would need to know while charming her with his words and smiles. But as he was talking, he glanced past her for a moment. He stopped talking.

"What's the matter?" One of the girls asked.

"Excuse me, ladies. I must leave." Grandpa walked out of the circle of girls and headed across the courtyard.

"Where's he going?" Serena asked.

"I don't know," Ami said.

They watched, flabbergasted, as Grandpa walked away from the girls towards the other side of the courtyard.

"Excuse me, young man, what is your name?"

A young man stood, with praying hands, at the front of the Shrine. He slowly turned around and looked at the old man before him. "My name is Altair. May I help you?"

"Altair," Grandpa repeated. His eyes glanced up and down the young man for a moment then he reached out his hands. Altair reached out and took the old man's hands. "What brings you here to my Shrine?"

"I have come to pray," Altair said, looking back towards the haiden hall.

"Altair, will you be my apprentice?" Grandpa asked.

"Work for you?" Altair looked confused. "Why?"

Grandpa looked him in the eye. "I see that you are no ordinary young man. Let me train you in the ways of the gods, young one."

Altair glanced away. "I don't know…"

Grandpa looked straight into the young man's eyes. "Let me train you to find peace for your soul—the peace you've always looked for but never found."

Altair's countenance grew serious.

Grandpa nodded, noting the seriousness Altair expressed. "Come and live here at the Shrine. I will train you as my apprentice. I will teach you everything I know."

Altair slowly nodded, realizing that this man was the answer to his many prayers. He bowed to Grandpa, and the old man bowed in return.

Raye walked up to her friends. "What's taking you so long? I told you all to meet me in my room." She stopped, seeing that her friends were not paying attention to her but rather to Grandpa. She looked over to where her friends were looking. "What happened?" She asked, seeing her Grandfather bowing to the young man.

"Your grandfather just turned down some pretty girl to hire that guy over there instead," Mina said.

Raye's mouth fell agape.

Grandpa turned and saw Raye standing in the courtyard with her friends. "Come! You can meet my granddaughter. She is also my apprentice." Grandpa led Altair across the courtyard towards the girls. As he approached, the girls stood marveling the man that Grandpa chose over a pretty girl.

"Altair, this is my granddaughter, Raye. She is a miko here at the Shrine, and she lives with me."

Altair looked over at Raye. The two locked eyes as he bowed to her. "Raye-san, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Raye nodded. "Yes, it is a pleasure." She kept her eyes fixated upon his. His eyes were a strange, but beautiful, color of viridian. Those eyes were familiar to her, but as she looked at them, she asked herself how she could ever forget eyes like that if she had seen them before.

"Oh, and did I mention that she is single—very single?" Grandpa asked, looking at Altair.

"Grandpa!" Raye hissed.

"No, you didn't." Altair said with a faint smile.

Mina slid forward, scooting in-between Grandpa and Altair. "I'm Mina!" She extended her hand in a western fashion and shook Altair's hand.

"Hello, Mina. It is nice to meet you."

"And I'm Serena!" Serena added.

Altair nodded. "Serena."

Lita held up her hand. "I'm Lita."

"Hello, Altair. My name is Ami."

Altair looked at each of them and nodded as he heard their introductions. "I am glad to have met you all."

Grandpa grabbed a hold of Altair's jacket sleeve and started to tug him away from the girls. "Come, Altair, I will show you around the Shrine."

"Yes…" He glanced down at the old man. "Master."

Grandpa's face lit up. "Finally, I'll have some extra help around here."

The girls stood and watched as Grandpa and Altair walked away. Mina spun around and looked at her friends. "Can you believe that?"

Lita shook her head. "Grandpa turned down a pretty young girl for_ a guy_?"

"But a _very _cute guy!" Serena giggled.

"Yes, I must say he was rather exceptional," Ami added, stating it seriously as a fact.

"Hey, don't you have a boyfriend? You can't say things like that," Serena teased.

"And I suppose the name Darien doesn't have any significance to you?" Ami smiled.

"It is strange, indeed." Lita said. "Does anyone know him? He looks familiar."

"You know, now that you say it, I think he goes to our school," Mina said. She nodded her head. "Yes, he does. I remember now."

"Do you have any classes with him?" Ami asked.

Mina shook her head. "No, I saw him in the cafeteria. I always am on the look out for boyfriend material."

Lita rolled her eyes. "Figures."

Serena glanced over at her raven haired friend who appeared to be deep in thought. "Raye, are you alright?"

Raye looked up, breaking her thoughts. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

Raye nodded. "Yes, I was just thinking. That's all."

Now that it was safe, Luna leapt up onto Ami's shoulder. "We should probably get back to business, Sailors."

The girls nodded and headed off towards Raye's bedroom. They circled up around the coffee table to discuss once again the attack on Raye a few nights before, and after much discussion, it was decided that training for the Sailor Scouts was in order.


End file.
